Minnesota and Colorado Pass

Minnesota and Colorado Join Virginia in Passing Accessible Prescription Labeling Laws in 2024

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed omnibus bill HF5247 on May 24th.  Tucked away in the 1494 page bill is a new law requiring pharmacies to provide accessible prescription labels to patients who have difficulty seeing or reading their prescription labels. Beginning in 2025 pharmacies must begin telling patients that accessible prescription labels are available, and if the pharmacy cannot provide them, they must refer them to a list of pharmacies that can. By 2026 all pharmacies will be required to be able to provide audible, large print or Braille prescription labels to their patients upon request. You can read the excerpt of the 1400+ page bill here:  https://www.staysaferx.org/p/minnesota-bill-hf5247.html

Colorado's bill is on Governor Jared Polis's desk.  This bill not only requires pharmacies to provide accessible prescription labeling options, but it also sets money aside to assist small independent pharmacies with grants of up to $1500 to help defray the cost of providing accessible labels. You can track and read the full text of the bill at https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1368

Virginia's accessible prescription labeling bill was passed back in April. The Board of Pharmacy has until December 31, 2024 to create rules to enforce the new law.  You can read details of that bill https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB516

Virginia Governor Signs Accessible Prescription Labeling into Law

https://www.ramsa.com/projects/project/general-assembly-building

 Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed House Bill 516 into law. This bill was brought forward by Delegate Patrick Hope on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia that gave testimony regarding the need for accessible prescription labeling for the blind and visually impaired of Virginia.

All of the pharmacy associations within Virginia provided feedback and suggestions on how this bill could be made flexible enough to not hurt struggling independent pharmacies and pharmacies that already have some sort of provision in place.  The end product is a law that allows for patients and pharmacists to work  together to decide the best and safest solution with the unique needs and preferences of the patient in mind. 

The details of the law:

Pharmacies will have to notify patients that identify as blind, visually impaired or print disabled that accessible prescription labels or other accommodations are available. 

Then pharmacists and patients have two options: 

Pharmacies can provide, either in person or through mail order, an accessible prescription label affixed to the prescription container and a prescription reader if the label requires one;

Or, pharmacists can provide appropriate counseling and accommodation and dispense the medication in suitable packaging with sufficient labeling and other information. (This is aimed to allow pharmacists to provide solutions like daily pill packaging and other medication management solutions.)

The accessible label must be provided to the person in a timely manner comparable to other patient wait times and be available for the duration of the prescription.  

Accessible label formats can include audible, large print or other enclosures that are appropriate to the disability and preference of the person making the request and should seek to attain to the best practices established by the US Access Board

The Virginia Board of Pharmacy has until December 31, 2024 to adoption regulations necessary to implement the law.  And is required to issue a guidance document identifying appropriate technologies, packaging, labeling, and counseling strategies based on the US Access Board's best practices.  

One key take away:

Patients will need to clearly communicate and firmly establish what their needs and preferences are and what "sufficient labeling" means to them.